GRAND RAPIDS — "When we’re on the road and playing gigs and having adventures on our days off, that’s when I feel like we’re living like the birds and the bees.”
That’s violinist Jill Burkes talking about her band MorningBird, and “Birds and Bees,” the lead single from their debut album Echoes in the Meadow. Burkes, along with guitarist Rob Wheeler and bassist Josh Palmi, stopped by KAXE to play songs from the album. All three share singing and writing duties in the band.
They began their live session with a performance of the single, an upbeat number featuring lyrics yearning for freedom and a great country-rock guitar riff from Wheeler. The song was inspired by Burkes’ mother, who asked the band “to write a toe-tapper."
Burkes grew up playing Finnish and Norwegian folk tunes, many of which are in minor keys and that would translate into the band’s songwriting later on.
Each member comes to MorningBird from a different musical background. Burkes from classical and folk violin, Wheeler from rock and funk, and Palmi from the blues, but the three come together into one cohesive folk-country sound. Each brought a different traditional tune to the album, and Wheeler’s pick of “Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning” was their next performance at KAXE.
“I really like these guys, they’re my friends and I think we mesh well together.”Rob Wheeler
First recorded in the 1920s by bluesman Blind Willie Johnson, it is a traditional gospel song with call and response chorus. MorningBird’s version is inspired by Jorma Kaukonen who covered the song with Hot Tuna. Wheeler handled lead vocals on this one with Burkes and Palmi providing the response in the chorus.
The trio wrapped up the session with Palmi’s tune “Reefer,” which the bassist joked was “pretty self-explanatory.” With a haunting vibe and paranoid lyrics, the song accurately captures the feeling of a high gone wrong.
On Echoes in the Meadow, everyone contributes, whether it’s songwriting, singing or picking out songs to cover.
“I really like these guys,” Wheeler said. “They’re my friends and I think we mesh well together.”
Folks in Northern Minnesota will have a chance to see MorningBird when they play Festival Rialto at Rapids Brewing Co. on Saturday, June 8.
To hear all three live performances and the complete interview, listen above.
Centerstage Minnesota, Fridays at 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. on KAXE/KBXE, is made possible by the citizens of Minnesota through the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.
